Did you know, the world's first Thanksgiving was extended to 3 days, about 280 million turkeys were consumed on Thanksgiving day...?
Fun facts about Thanksgiving Day
In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.
The Pilgrims of Plymouth were the first to celebrate Thanksgiving.
The world's first Thanksgiving was extended to 3 days.
Thanksgiving Day officially became a national holiday in 1941.
Pilgrims do not use forks, they eat with spoons, knives, and fingers.
Although Thanksgiving is considered an American holiday, the day is also celebrated in Canada on the second Monday in October.
In the US, about 280 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving Day.
Fossil evidence shows that turkeys appeared in the Americas 10 million years ago.
Columbus thought that the land he discovered was connected with India, where there was a lot of work. And he believed that the turkey was a peacock (actually a turkey was a pheasant). So he named them "tuka", which means "peacock" in the Tamil language of the Indians.
The turkey was one of the first animals in the Americas to be domesticated.
91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving.
More than 40 million servings of green bean casserole are served on Thanksgiving.
The turkey's collarbone is used in a Thanksgiving good-luck ritual.
A turkey in a state of panic can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.
Thanksgiving Day Activities
Thanksgiving is an occasion for family members and friends to meet and share in the joy. In the US, it is an important family holiday and people can travel from east to west to meet family members. Thanksgiving holiday usually falls on the "4-day" weekend. This occasion is largely held at the family level, unlike July 4 or Christmas, which is celebrated with the participation of the public.
In Canada, Thanksgiving takes place over a 3-day weekend and is not taken as seriously as in the US. On this occasion, it is difficult for Canadian families to gather together, instead, they consider Christmas Day as an occasion for family members to reunite. Plus, Thanksgiving in Canada falls on a Monday, so Canadians can eat Thanksgiving dinner on any of the three preceding weekends. This means they will have dinner with a group of relatives one day and another meal with another group the next day.
An indispensable activity on Thanksgiving is shopping. Beginning in the 1930s, the Christmas shopping season began when Thanksgiving ended. In New York City, the Macy's Corporation Thanksgiving Day Parade is held annually in downtown Manhattan. Marches are organized around certain themes or simulate scenes from Broadway plays accompanied by large balloons depicting famous cartoon characters or TV actors. Thanksgiving parades also took place in a number of other cities, including Plymouth, Houston, Philadelphia and Detroit.
Although the second-biggest shopping day of the year in the US is Black Friday next after Thanksgiving, most stores have begun stocking up daily after Halloween, sometimes even before.
Another major Thanksgiving event in the US is the football game. Traditionally, two professional teams play each other on Thanksgiving Day.
Read more: History and Meaning of Thanksgiving Day
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